What You Got: Ravenwood #1

What You Got: Ravenwood Quarterly #1

Story time: Around December 2014, I decided that the world had just about told me to give up on writing fiction. I was entering a very new chapter of my life, moving and beginning what will ultimately become (I hope) a life-long profession. And I had tried, “Lord knows” I tried. I finally saw a ray of light about a year prior to giving up, when a certain publication I had day-dreamed about being accepted one of my publications and shortlisted another. It was the place of Lovecraft, Howard, Tennessee Williams. You know the one.

Well that publication abruptly shut down, and I never did hear back.

Earlier this year, I began sending in fiction once I discovered “the horror tree” run by Stuart Conover. I found Benjamin Holesapple’s Turn to Ash, and found Ravenwood through “people also like” list. I read the guidelines and thought that my story “Movie Magic” (more on that later) might fit what the editor was looking for. Like a professional, I sent the story off to “Mr. Neisler” (I was a young and naïve back then). Travis Neisler got back to me by the end of the day. He loved my story, wanted it, but could not fit it in. Unfortunately, Ravenwood #1 was full, but he wanted it for #3.

A few happy accidents later, “Movie Magic” squeezed its way into Ravenwood #1; “Skins” and “The Cthulhu Candidate” made their way into Ravenwood #2, while my poem “Carcosa” is on the outside cover with an absolutely astounding piece of art from Mutartis Boswell; and my story “Meeting the Matchmaker” will be in Ravenwood #3. There are other Ravenwood plans, things that I have sent in and things I have not, and I am eager to see these long-term projects to fruition over the years. But more than that, I have been humbled by Travis and his co-editors, especially my fellow authors.

Like many of us I suspect, I have acute self-criticism and doubt when it comes to my own work. Praise has always been difficult for me to accept, and I wish I could say it has gotten easier with acceptances and recent successes. But I don’t know if it ever does. I can say, however, that it has been an absolute thrill to be part of this very special publication.

2016 comes to a close, and it only seems fitting that I discuss the very first publication I was accepted to this year, the one that re-lit that sacred fire under my ass. What follows is a brief survey of the contents of Ravenwood Quarterly #1, some thoughts on what the Magazine will come to mean, and all around praise from yours’ truly. I’ll close out with a discussion of my story “Movie Magic.”

The Contents: Taking a glance at the names, the frequent reader of indie horror will recognize a few right away. Many have developed their own consistent and well-deserved readerships, and I am honored to be in several more issues and anthologies with them.

Reading through the stories, it is pretty apparent that the vision of Ravenwood is a brutal publication. This is not to suggest that it is gory, but rather this is horror at its bleakest. The stories range from artistically nihilistic to horrifyingly true in their themes, leaving the option of readers to take them as unsettling metaphors or more.

What I find most remarkable is the effort Travis Neisler took in organizing stories by overarching themes and tones. Between “The Proud Shall be Abased” and “Thou Shall Kill,” there are stories of corruption, contamination, grief and abasement. From “Though Shall Kill” to “Stalker” murder reigns supreme. Such threads run throughout the magazine, and I’d like to think that my own story contributes the overall picture. I think, however that mine may be an outlier amongst all of this quality literature.

As always, I will try and avoid spoilers in my discussion. Though Ravenwood #1 is sold out, I would be very surprised if these stories did not resurface in another time, in another place.

The Proud Will Be Abased by Joseph Bouthiette Jr.  I believe that placing this poem at the very beginning of the publication sends a very direct message to the reader. This is not horror due to monsters, this is not horror due to gore. This is horror due to horror, a bleak dirty and bleeding world is hurtlingly in vaguely circular patterns around a dying flame in the middle of a vast blackness. Nothing to be done about that. So shut up, and keep reading.

Cruel World by Christopher Ropes The story that Mr. Ropes presents is succinct and damning. This is a journey down a dark path, through the veil of reality and into what we can only assume is the true world which overlays that of the characters. The final line is one of the best I have ever read.

The Black Parade by John Paul Fitch Tonally and thematically, this story is quite similar to Cruel World. Rather than suffer for it, the energy one gets flows throughout the entire volume. John Paul Fitch writes like a pugilist, and a story of grief is given such profoundly tragic and horrifying imagery that the story sits at the bottom of your stomach for hours after.

Thou Shall Kill by Roger Keel This is a noir piece, though it is right at home with the horror. Reading it, I look forward to seeing what Ravenwood #3 (the noir/horror issue) has in store. As with The Black Parade, I kept thinking of the title of Boutthiette Jr.’s poem. “The proud will be abased.” This seems to ring throughout the story. Murdered girls, crooked cops, a sacrifice beyond murder.

Stalker by Dave de Burgh Rolling into the theme of murder, Dave de Burgh tells the story of obsession. The objects of the success are unnatural, but as to the what and how I will not say. Blood is aplenty in this one, as is revenge, as is the horrible truth of a dark and carnivorous world. Streets where monsters walk.

Lonely Hearts Club by Betty Rocksteady Is it body horror? Is it a metaphor? All I know is that I had a maniacal, horrified smile on my face the entire time. This is something you won’t forget.

My Mother’s Skin by Brian O’Connell I don’t think I’ll ever forget this story. There is a touch of magical realism here: a house by the sea, a disappearance. O’Connell’s use of symbolism is artful here, especially in regards to the catalysts of domestic violence. There is tone aplenty here, but rather than mere terror it is despair. Profound, lonely despair. In a house by the sea. In another’s skin.

The Horizontal Masochist by Jordan Krall A very brief demonstration of the economy of the words. The reader is taken from their comfort and firmly placed to observe the peeling of reality. Dabs of sci-fi and a giant swath of cosmic horror.

The Shaft by Roger Keel Another crime story from Mr. Keel. The story seems to have quite a lot in common with one of my favorite Saki stories “The Interloper.” The irony serves everyone but the main character well.

Saturnalia by Anthony Crowley This is one of the longer stories in the first volume. A few traditional horror motifs are twisted and made new in this one. It’s remarkable how much you come to identify with poor George, though you’re not exactly sure you should.

Oraculorum Pythonissa by Michael Faun This one rests on the border between prose poetry and short fiction. I cannot wait to read more from Michael Faun, based off of this very brief piece.

The Pit and the Void by Alex S. Johnson An excellent touch-up on Poe’s “Pit and the Pendulum.” But throw in some sci-fi, a healthy dose of the occult, torture redefined for the future. And, just for kicks, some horror-in-nothingness. The story speaks to poetry, and I don’t think anything further needs to be said.

Ink Spots by Sam Gafford Another of Ravenwood’s lengthier tales. This story is an excellent haunted house tale, and a show-stealer in Ravenwood #1. It goes through enough motions to be familiar, with enough creeping horror to subvert and overthrow reader expectations.

Christmas Eve in Arkham by Brandon Barrows Barrows kicks off the Lovecraftian portion of the anthology. His story does not disappoint, humor and coming of age against the backdrop of a dark road trip and dangerous hotel room.

The Terrible Old Friend by Matthew M. Bartlett To be honest, it does not seem at all fitting that I comment on this story. It fits in to Bartlett’s greater Leeds mythology, but I have not read enough of him yet to comment further than that. The story did, however, prompt me to immediately open Gateways to Abomination and I have not yet put it down. There is a manic horror in Bartlett’s prose, and Leeds has earned its place as an enduring horror local.

Transylvania. Innsmouth. Leeds.

The Annotation of James Ingraham Host by Peter Rawlik This one is cool. This one is REALLY cool. A faculty email at Miskatonic University unfolds into a story about horror and horror fiction. I won’t say any more than that.

Monday Morning by Russell Smeaton A board room with a very specific agenda. A meeting that you cannot miss. I’ve had the pleasure of reading a bit more of Smeaton’s work (his “The Street” is required reading, you can find it in the second issue of Ravenwood) and he does very well at mixing humor and horror. He has all the makings of one of my favorite authors, Robert Bloch.

Movie Magic by S. L. Edwards

So, then we get to me. This is hard for me, as the rest of the fiction in this volume is outstanding. No matter what is said about “Movie Magic,” it will always be one of my pieces, and thus quite dear and yet deeply flawed to me at the same time. But, it was my first accepted piece of fiction (though “I’ve Been Here a Very Long Time,” made is my first published story…I’ll give a write-up on that one later) and thus will always be special to me.

“Movie Magic” was my attempt to write a love-letter to the horror-genre in all of its forms. The story focuses on a date between the narrator and “Camilla,” a young woman who shares an interest in horror movies and Thomas Ligotti. The story is smattered with horror references, foremost amongst them being the name of the theater in which the two characters go on their special date: “The Haunted Palace,” of course named after the poem read in Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher.” It was also inspired by urban legends of “hauntings” taking place during screenings of “The Exorcist.”

It was my attempt to meditate on the importance of horror on the meanings of monsters. I cannot be sure I succeeded, but at least two people have told me they enjoy it. 

Ravenwood will become synonymous with brutal horror. I am so glad I did not miss being a part of it, and I cannot recommend that you miss out either. Right now, Travis is taking submissions for both Issue 4 (Goat Worship) and Issue 5 (Yellow). Should plans hold, you will see one of my favorite stories I have ever written appear in Issue 4, something particular and personal to me. As for beyond…well…somethings take time.

All of the best,

S. L.